Mecca Masjid - Hyderabad

Site Name: Mecca Masjid

Site Type: Mosque, Monument

Location:  Hyderabad city, Telangana state, India

Highlights: One of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad; one of the largest mosques in entire India

Nearest Railway Station: Hyderabad

Nearest Airport: Hyderabad

How to reach: Well connected by road, rail and air

Hotel: All sorts of options are available in Hyderabad 

Restaurants: Hyderabad city has no shortage of restaurants of all varieties

Hyderabad is an important city in South India. It is the capital city of the newly formed Telangana state as well as Andhra Pradesh state of India. Hyderabad, which is also called as 'the city of Pearls' is a historical city. In the last two decades, the city became very popular thanks to the IT companies. There are many popular and varieties of tourist spots such as forts, palaces, lakes, masjids and temples located in this city. Let us explore one of the most important destination of the city, Mecca Masjid, in this article.

Introduction:

Mecca Masjid is located near the popular Charminar monument at the heart of the Hyderabad city. It is probably the second oldest mosque (the first being the mosque located on top of Charminar) in Hyderabad. The main hall of the mosque can accommodate upto 10,000 devotees and it is considered as one of the largest mosques in the entire country.

History:

The masjid was built by the fifth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty named Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah. He was the one who formed the Hyderabad city and also built Charminar. It is believed that Qutb Shah brought soil from Mecca and used that in the construction of the mosque. Hence, it is called as Mecca Masjid. Around 8000 workers were employed to construct this massive monument which took almost 50 years to complete. It was the Emperor Aurangazeb who completed the construction of the mosque in 1694 CE.

Structure:

The main hall of the mosque is huge in size and can accommodate upto 10,000 people. Fifteen arches, five in each side, support the roof of this magnificent hall. The mosque is flanked by two ornamented minarets; on top of the minarets, the arched gallery, dome and a spire are found. The cornices and the floral motifs running around the entire structure are fine examples of Islamic architectural style. The main hall is flanked by two massive octagonal columns made of single piece of granite. 

In front of the main hall, there is a pond. Near the pond we can always find hundreds of doves. Dove feeding by the tourists and devotees in this place is a very common sight.

The entrance courtyard of the mosque is a separate structure which is rectangular in shape. It houses the graves of Asaf Jahi rulers, Nizams and their family members. It was built by them. The minarets of this hall are very beautiful with circular balconies and arches. 

People visit this place for spiritual and religious reasons. Also, there are tourists who visit this site for its spectacular beauty and historical importance.

Happy travelling.